Nautical slang for tow-rope or oakum (loose fibers used in caulking ships); also can mean trivial or worthless things.
Origin uncertain; possibly Scandinavian dialect or naval terminology. May relate to obsolete meanings of 'fuss' (trifles) or Dutch/German nautical terms.
Old sailors had colorful words for the tedious materials they worked with—fusk is one of those beautifully specific nautical terms that almost nobody outside of maritime traditions would ever know or use today.
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